Vladimir_M comments on The Good News of Situationist Psychology - Less Wrong

55 Post author: lukeprog 01 April 2011 07:28PM

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Comment author: Vladimir_M 02 April 2011 02:46:05AM 23 points [-]

Scott Adams made this observation in a blog post:

Years ago I worked with a young intern at Crocker Bank who believed his first step toward success was to find a place to live in a prosperous suburb. His theory was that the external environment would program his brain for the sort of success that his neighbors would have already found. I remember mocking him for his offbeat and naive theory. Now I think he's a genius for understanding at such an early age that his environment was a tool for programming his brain. I lost touch with him, but 'll bet he's a millionaire now.

This is definitely one lesson I should have learned earlier than I did.

Comment author: ChrisHibbert 05 April 2011 04:00:17AM 15 points [-]

Without the follow-up report, this is hardly evidence that the theory works. I guess it counts as evidence that the theory is convincing.

Comment author: latanius 02 October 2011 02:39:19PM *  7 points [-]

For some evidence, it might be worthwhile to take a look at how agile software development works.

(Or that it works at all.)

At my current workplace, there are teams of around 6-8 people, working together in one big room for each team. The way it works is the following: we get a task every 2 weeks, generate lots of post-its with sub-tasks, then during the 2 weeks, everyone is free to pick and solve these. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrum_(development) )

The interesting part is that there is no boss telling you what to do (and making you responsible for it). There is a "scrum master" of each team who is there to ensure that everything is democratic enough and we have all that we need. And there is the "product owner" who gives the tasks... but to the whole team, every two weeks.

There is nothing to prevent you from reading Slashdot the whole time. Except... well, there are the post-its. And a big TV screen showing where the code is buggy. And all of your teammates who are working, or talking about work. And the 10 minute meeting every day, where you can show off with what you have done.

End result: somehow, everyone ends up working, without exerting too much willpower, just because... that is the obvious thing to do? (this stuff is really good news for those who otherwise tend to procrastinate a lot... you just have to surround yourself with the things that need to be done and people who do the same...)

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